Haiku: Poetry Ancient and Modern

Rating:
Summary: A First-Rate Collection of Haiku
Review: This books starts with an essay on the haiku form that briefly explores the history and consruction of haiku. The essay is short and avoids being too technical or pompous: a problem that some poets have when writing about poetry. I would have like to have seen a longer introductory essay, or perhaps a series of essays focussing on different aspects of the art. However, this is a minor complaint since there are many good books that already do this.

The real strength of this book,in my opinion, is that the rest of the book is made up of haiku on elemental themes. The division of the book is pleasing and Jackie Hardy has made very good choices about what material to include. I found that I enjoyed this book most when I dipped into it and read four or five haiku at a time. "Haiku: Poety Ancient and Modern" makes a pleasent diversion from the stresses of daily life. It is also a nice way to fill the commercials in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Buy it. Put it on your coffee table. Enjoy it.

Rating:
Summary: A First-Rate Collection of Haiku
Review: This books starts with an essay on the haiku form that briefly explores the history and consruction of haiku. The essay is short and avoids being too technical or pompous: a problem that some poets have when writing about poetry. I would have like to have seen a longer introductory essay, or perhaps a series of essays focussing on different aspects of the art. However, this is a minor complaint since there are many good books that already do this.

The real strength of this book,in my opinion, is that the rest of the book is made up of haiku on elemental themes. The division of the book is pleasing and Jackie Hardy has made very good choices about what material to include. I found that I enjoyed this book most when I dipped into it and read four or five haiku at a time. "Haiku: Poety Ancient and Modern" makes a pleasent diversion from the stresses of daily life. It is also a nice way to fill the commercials in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Buy it. Put it on your coffee table. Enjoy it.

Rating:
Summary: A Very Pleasing Anthology
Review: This is a beautiful book: compact size, nice woodcuts, quality paper and binding and the poems are presented with 1 or 2 to a page leaving lots of space for them to bloom. The thing I most like about it is that it presents modern poems alongside translations of the Japanese masters. This really makes apparent the strengths and shortcomings of English language haiku as it is currently written.

As to the poem selection, this feels a little like a "greatest hits" collection. Some of the modern poets are represented by their most popular haiku that have appeared numerous times in other anthologies. If you have The Haiku Anthology you have a few of these poems already. The poems by Basho, Buson, etc. are ones you've probably seen as well. But this volume also contains a lot of names and haiku I was not familiar with. If you enjoy haiku and a great presentation, this is one of the most beautiful books I've seen. I also appreciate the division into elemental categories instead of the usual seasonal ones.

I do have a couple nits: aside from the few "well-worn" poems, some poets seem to get shortchanged and others are glaringly omitted. Some of the poems are definitely more Senryu than Haiku and some are either a bit weak or confusing. Also, some of the translations weren't my favorites, like Santoka's "hailstones" poem. These are small gripes and in no way should dissuade you from buying this book. This volume lets the haiku speak for themselves and there are many moments in this book that alone are worth the price of admission. This book has me reexamining my own haiku in light of what I've seen here. I'm very glad I bought it and I'll return to it often.